What to do in a bad petco situation?

[octopus44]

I wanted to get everyones input on this as I am sure you have all had similar experiences.

I went to petco yesterday to pick up some coco bark for my millipedes when I witnessed the following situation:

A young guy and girl were wondering the store in trying to decide what kind of pet they wanted to buy. This was already a bad sign. They decided on a large (about 3") fancy goldfish. What did they buy for a tank? You guessed it. A small "goldfish" bowl with no filtration. The petco employee assisting the boy and girl never mentioned anything about cycling the tank, nor the fact that a bowl is WAY to small for a goldfish. Especially one who is already that big. After the boy and girl left I asked the employee if they teach people who are obviously buying fish for the first time (or obviously know nothing about keeping fish) about cycling. The girls response: "Whats cycling?"!!!!!!

So my question is what is the appropriate thing to do here? Was I wrong for not saying anything while these people were purchasing the fish? Should I have stepped in and told them that it is not only inhumane, but that their goldfish will probably die in a few weeks and there money will be wasted?
Should I have gotten upset with the employee or spoke to a manager?

What do you all think and/or what have you done in similar circumstances?

[Drumachine09]

Tell the managment. I sent an email, and i recieved a voicemail on my phone about someone from the fish department who wants to talk to me. Ill call them tommorow and see what they have to say.

In situations like that, its best to speak up and tell them what they are doing wrong, and offer to help them.

[cocoa_pleco]

pet stores need to clean their act up and just plain stop selling goldfish bowls. customers should not have to tell them what to do. my petsmarts at least have a half good binder stapled where the tanks are sold that has good fish for a certain tank size. most of it is good and accurate. they even give goldfish 20g for the first and 10g each thereafter. osars also have 55g for one, and 100g for 2

[octopus44]

I regret not saying anything now. When I was there I felt that it was not my place, but looking back I could have saved a fish's life.

I am definitely going to send an email to the manager and the main petco office.
How did you get the managers email drumacine?

[Bill M.]

First of all:

BRAVO!

You did a wonderfull thing by standing up and talking to the employee. I myself have heard Petco, as well as Petsmart telling obviously first time aquarists that they can fit 15 neons in a 10 gallon tank with a heater and filter on the second day of the tank being set up. The couple saw me listening in and saw me making the "WTF" face at most of the employee's directions. After a while, I went over to the filtration aisle, and the couple came up to me, and asked " Was this guy over there telling me the right stuff? I saw you making faces!" I said to him that I was sorry for eavesdropping but the employee was completely wrong. After talking for ten minutes, I found out that the employee had told the couple that a dechlorinator is not needed becasue the "little chlorine in tap water" wouldn't hurt the fish, a heater isn't nessicary for tetras, as they "adjust to thier enviroment,'' that ten gallons would be perfectly fit for 15 neons, as well as a betta, and that gravel cleaning need only be done 3 times a year. Upon hearing all this, I told them everything they needed to know about setting up the tank, its stocking capacities, and basically every question they had. That night when I got home, I called the petsmart and told them the story and that it was horrible that a customer, myself, had to correct the horrible advice given to other customers, and that I want a dramatic change. I found out that later that month the entire fish/reptile crew had a mandatory 5 day training course in thier areas of expertice, if you can call it that. I don't know if I had something to do with it, but I hope I did.

If I were you, I would call, or even visit, the store and talk to the store manager and tell him your story, and every complaint you have had within the past 6 months. Don't be too agressive, but don't be to passive either. Let them know they effed up!

[Drumachine09]

I regret not saying anything now. When I was there I felt that it was not my place, but looking back I could have saved a fish's life.

I am definitely going to send an email to the manager and the main petco office.
How did you get the managers email drumacine?

I think it was actually bill that posted a link where you could email your local walmart, so i did.

[cocoa_pleco]

one way that i let off stream is i actually do the petsmart survey. here, every time you buy something from petsmart, you get a phone number for a phone survey on the reciept. if you do the survey, you get a code and get 5$ off your next purchase. if i saw a employee give bad info, i simply say the employees name and what was wrong

[gm72]

If only it would be so easy every time. Hopefully someone is listening. Keep up the good work, folks. If we don't say anything we aren't moving the situation forward (or backward as may be the case in some situations).

[Bill M.]

one way that i let off stream is i actually do the petsmart survey. here, every time you buy something from petsmart, you get a phone number for a phone survey on the reciept. if you do the survey, you get a code and get 5$ off your next purchase. if i saw a employee give bad info, i simply say the employees name and what was wrong

Where is this number??? I have about a billion petsmart reciepts.....

[Nick_Pavlovski]

Drop in some sort of basic guide for them? Just a single page, with info on both sides?
Laminate it, so it's not so easy to damage?